The Last Mercury Retrograde of 2025: How to Use It, Not Panic

We hear the words “Mercury retrograde,” and almost immediately, we feel a little pang of panic. Right? We start thinking about canceled flights, unsent emails, contracts gone wrong, and that inevitable call from an ex.

And now, it turns out 2025 has one last surprise for us: a Mercury retrograde just in time to close out the year. I know, it can sound like “drama.”

But as your astrologer and high-performance coach, I want to invite you to take a deep breath. What if I told you this Mercury retrograde isn’t a punishment, but the best free consulting session the universe could give us before we launch our plans for 2026?

This transit isn’t about fear. It’s about changing our way of thinking. Mercury is the planet of the mind, and its greatest gift is giving us the ability to see things from another point of view. Let’s stop seeing it as a problem and start seeing it as an opportunity to edit, polish, and recalibrate.

The Tech Specs: When and Where is This Happening?

First, we need to understand the map. This isn’t just a few days; it’s a process. I call this “Mercury’s assignment”—the entire period it works on a specific area of our lives.

The key dates you should note are:

• The “Shadow” or Work Period (October 21 to December 16): This is the true period of influence. Starting October 21, Mercury enters the zodiacal zone it will later “review.” Everything that begins, is negotiated, or proposed after this date will be revisited.
• Mercury Retrograde (November 9 to November 29): This is the official retrograde period. This is when the review becomes internal, more obvious, and deeper.
• The Journey: Mercury begins its retrograde in the sign of Sagittarius (the sign of expansion and vision) and on November 18, it moves back into Scorpio (the sign of depth, truth, and resources).

Think of it like a big project. From October 21 to November 9, you’re submitting the first draft. From November 9 to 29, you receive feedback and have to edit. And from November 29 to December 16, you turn in the final version. See? Not so scary when we look at it that way.

From Sagittarius to Scorpio: Reviewing the Vision and its Real Purpose

This Mercury retrograde has a very particular flavor because it travels from expansion to depth. It’s a call to review our big plans for 2026.

The Sagittarius Stop (The Big Vision)

While in Sagittarius (from October 21 to November 18), Mercury asks us to review our “big picture.” Sagittarius is the sign of big dreams, travel, higher education, and our life philosophy. It’s that wonderful plan you have for 2026: “I’m going to move to that city,” “I’m going to launch this big project,” “I’m going to sell this.”

Here, Mercury asks: Is that vision realistic? Is it aligned with your truth, or is it just baseless optimism? Is it truly yours?

The Return to Scorpio (The Economic and Emotional Truth)

On November 18, Mercury retrogrades back into Scorpio. And this is where the review gets serious. Scorpio rules shared money, loans, debts, taxes, intimacy, and our psychological power. It’s the sign of deep purpose.

Mercury in Scorpio asks us: “Okay, I love your big Sagittarius vision, but… how are you going to finance it? Do you have the real energy to sustain it? What is the real purpose behind it all?”

This is the time to review the fine print on that mortgage, get your taxes in order, and understand the economic reality of your dream. It’s a review of our internal and financial structure.

The Hidden Gift: Why I’m Grateful for Mercury Retrograde

As a coach, I see human stubbornness every day. We cling to an idea, to a vision of how things “have” to be (from A to B). If it doesn’t work out exactly as we planned, we shut down and say “it didn’t work.”

Mercury retrograde is the antidote to that rigidity.

The best gift of this transit is the ability to change our way of thinking. It forces us to stop and consider other routes. What if life is offering you a route from A to C, which is much better than the B you had in mind?

This is the perfect time to pull that idea out of the drawer and review it. To knock on a door again with a different point of view. To have that pending conversation and say, “I don’t think I heard you correctly, can we try again?”

A Coaching Guide to Navigating the End of 2025

Instead of a “don’t do” list, I propose a “take advantage of” list.

What TO Do (Focus on the “RE”s):

• RE-view: Your plans for 2026. Pass the Sagittarius vision through the Scorpio reality filter.
• RE-negotiate: Terms of debts, loans, or shared finances.
• RE-connect: Around November 24, Mercury connects with Venus. This is a special time for healing bonds. It’s the chance to have that pending conversation, whether to get back together (if it’s right) or to clear the air, find peace, and let each person move on.
• RE-organize: This is the best time of year to sort out paperwork, pay taxes, clean up your accounts, and prepare your financial structure for the next year.
• RE-ceive advice: This Mercury will connect with Jupiter and Saturn (the great teachers). Don’t try to do it alone. Find that mentor, lawyer, accountant, or therapist who has already walked the path and can guide you.

What’s Better to Postpone (If You Can):

• Signing major contracts: Especially buying a house, a car, or leasing a commercial space. It’s not that you can’t, but if you do, read the fine print ten times.
• Launching a new project: If you can wait until Mercury is out of shadow (after December 16), that’s better. If not, launch it knowing you’ll probably have to make adjustments on the fly.
• Buying technology: Avoid buying the latest phone or computer; it’s common for them to have glitches or for you to find a better deal later.

Who Will Be Most Affected by This Transit?

Although we all feel it in some area of our lives, some signs will be in the front row. If your Sun or Ascendant is in these signs, pay special attention:

• Sagittarius: This is your identity review. You’ll be asking, “Who am I? What am I projecting to the world? How do I communicate?” It’s a time to become aware of how you express yourself and how you receive feedback.
• Scorpio: You’ll feel that a process that was very frustrating in 2025 is finally making sense. It’s as if you’re saying, “It took me 9 months to get it, but now I know exactly what to do.” Patience, you are understanding the lesson.
• Gemini: As a sign ruled by Mercury, you always feel it. This time it hits your area of relationships, partners, and mirrors. It might bring some melancholy for changes in 2025, but it will lead you to a place of great calm and acceptance.
• Virgo: The other child of Mercury. The review falls in your zone of home, family, and stability. Perhaps the holidays will be different than planned, or a move will be delayed. Flow with the changes.

A Year-End for Aligning Vision and Purpose

This last Mercury retrograde of 2025 is not drama. It’s a necessary pause. It’s the universe giving you the chance to make sure your “big vision” (Sagittarius) has a deep purpose and a real structure (Scorpio) to sustain it.

It’s time to listen, to open your mind, and to be willing to edit the script. Sometimes, the best chapters of our lives come from those unexpected revisions.

If you want to understand exactly which area of your life (home, career, partnership, finances) this review is falling on and how you can use it strategically to design a successful 2026, I would love to explore it with you.

You can see my astrology readings here.

Navigate this period with curiosity, not fear. The universe is helping you polish your diamond.

With Love,